A Clear Call of the Trumpet
Dr. John K. Mathew
Sumner Wemp, Vice President of Spiritual Affairs for Liberty Baptist College, Virginia, said, “Good English won’t drive away the less educated, but poor English will drive away the better educated”. Jesus used proper grammar. Preachers may not be perfect in their preaching, but there is no excuse for their sloppy speech. It is a discredit to the preachers and distasteful to the audience. Proper preparation, sufficient schooling and timely training are essential for a well balanced and abiding ministry. God calls, God ordains and God equips His preachers. But He still says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim.2:15).
Wemp further states, “Jesus trained and taught the Twelve for three years. Pastors need training. One good reason for going to a Bible School to be taught and trained is that one is not to go out as a novice. No matter how much education and experience one has, he is still bound to commit mistakes and encounter problems. It would be therefore wise for one to learn all he can before he starts in order to minimize the potential for mistakes and problems”.
The Apostle Paul’s concern about education is well expressed in his words, “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle”? He continues, so it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking in to the air (1 Cor.14:9).
What prohibits us from claiming our inheritance? Even today we have no access to the High Caste Hindus in India. The elite and the educated are out of our reach. ‘Why’, ‘what’ are the factors that hinder us from claiming our inheritance? It is lack of training of workmen, clear direction and discipline. People who want to claim the ‘Inheritance’ should be trained and tamed. There are no double standards with God. God has set standards for His people. With regard to the qualification of the workman Wemp writes, “A good general education in history, science and literature would help one to gain a broad perspective of contemporary life. Courses in Bible, Theology and Biblical languages are essential. Courses in Logic, Philosophy, Business and Economics can be extremely helpful.”
Apart from the above mentioned reasons, it seems like the Pentecostal churches in Kerala, are suffering from spiritual AIDS. It is the acronym for the following
A – Absurdity of post-modernism
The main characteristic of postmodernism is an absurd view of life. The unpredictability in human nature is a major problem of this time. It affects the entire society including the Pentecostals.
I – Inadequacy of Pastors and Leaders - Many preachers are not trained to face the daily challenges in ministry and are absolutely incompetent to deal with the new generation.
D – Discrepancy in life and teaching - The church totally fails in practicing what they preach. The church, today, has almost lost its testimony.
S – Strained believers - The result is the widespread growth of waywardness in the church. Prophet Joel said, “The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.” How can such a generation claim the inheritance? It is high time for us to stand firm. Stand up on our feet as a vast army. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph.6: 10 - 13,).
